These creamy sesame noodles are quick & easy to make and loaded with bold flavors, making it the ultimate meal for the weekdays. Garnished with fresh vegetables, these Taiwanese cold noodles are truly a delight to your tastebuds and assembled with just a handful of ingredients.
What are Sesame Noodles?
Chinese sesame noodles, or Ma Jiang Mian (麻醬麵), is a popular street food item in Taiwan known for its creamy, fragrant sauce and refreshing taste that’s ideal for the summertime.
This dish is second to the cold noodle series I am sharing with you to enjoy throughout the warmer months, to follow up on my 10-Minute Bibim Guksu (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles) recipe!
These sesame noodles are one of my absolute favorite meals to enjoy during the summer months as it is incredibly simple to make, and calls for simple ingredients from your pantry to put together. Not to mention, its flavors are absolutely heaven-sent!
Hands down, this has to be one of the most satisfying noodle dishes I’ve shared to date. Thick knife-cut noodles are tossed in an incredibly flavorful sesame sauce, and paired with crisp cucumber, cilantro, and green onion, to make the ultimate meal to treat your tastebuds. Simplicity at its best!
What do I need to make Sesame Noodles?
One of the best parts about this recipe lies in its simplicity, as it calls for a handful of ingredients that can be commonly found in your kitchen. Here is a list of ingredients you will need:
- Thick wheat noodles: I recommend using wheat noodles as their dense texture works well to hold up the sauce, packing each noodle with flavor.
- Any type of wheat noodles will work well otherwise, but I highly recommend giving Taiwanese knife-cut noodles, also known as “Shanxi noodles” a try! These noodles are the same as the one referenced in my 10-Minute Garlic Chili Oil Noodles recipe, which only takes 5-6 minutes to cook.
- Here is the exact brand I am using in this recipe!
- Chinese sesame paste, garlic, light + dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and hot water (preferably from boiling the noodles): for the sauce.
- Cucumber, cilantro, green onion, crushed sesame seeds, and chili oil: for garnish. Please feel free to be creative with this, as these are optional ingredients for garnishing! You can add any other fresh vegetables of choice, a soft-boiled egg, or even a sprinkle of crushed peanuts if you prefer an extra nutty flavor.
How do you serve Sesame Noodles?
Although traditionally served cold, these noodles can also be served warm depending on preference. Both ways taste incredible, and the choice is all yours. For cold noodles, you would just need to use a colander to rinse the noodles in cold water for about a few seconds then drain them of any excess water.
If you are serving the noodles warm, please ensure they are prepared right before serving to maintain their texture. If they need to be prepared in advance, I recommend tossing them with a little bit of oil to prevent the noodles from sticking. 
I highly recommend serving the noodles with some julienned cucumber, green onions (or scallions), and cilantro as the flavors harmonize beautifully, and adds that delicious crunchy texture to the noodles.
I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious recipe, and please feel free to leave a comment below or message me on Instagram with any questions!
Other easy Dinner recipes you may like:
- 10-Minute Bibim Guksu (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles)
- Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry
- 15-Minute Shrimp Fried Rice
- Stir-Fried Bulgogi Udon Noodles
- 15-Minute Yaki Udon (Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)
10-Minute Sesame Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 oz (113g) wheat noodles
- cucumber, cilantro, green onion, chili oil, soft-boiled egg, and/or crushed sesame seeds optional, for garnish
Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (Zhi Ma Jiang)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp rice vinegar or Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar or honey
- 2 tbsp hot water or to taste, preferably from boiling the noodles
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package instructions, reserving some of the hot water for the sauce. Drain and rinse the noodles under ice-cold water, carefully tossing them to cool evenly. Drain well and place in a bowl.
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Garnish the noodles with cucumber, cilantro, green onion, chili oil, and/or crushed sesame seeds, and pour the sauce on top. Mix well to combine and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
♥ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a 5-star rating or leave a comment below to share your experience, or tag @cookerru on Instagram to showcase your creations!
5 comments
So simple to make and absolutely delicious!!! I’ve had it twice this week already and can’t wait to make it again!
So happy you are enjoying the recipe Julie!! ♡
Hi, can I use soba noodles for this? Great recipe!
So delicious I have made it 3 times already
I have used this recipe for over a year now, maybe more. I tried other recipes too but I always come back to this one. It is my favorite one ! I eat it hot or cold. Both are tasty et delicious. I often ommit the cucumber because I don’t have it at home. I often have kimchi on the side though. Thanks for this excellent recipe ! Very quickly made and delicious. The perfect combo !